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THE POWER OF DIVERSITY

by Hub09/03/2017

Diversity is vital to many brands, as their consumer bases are exactly that – diverse. Much as emotion can help a campaign to be more memorable (as discussed in our prior blog), there’s a strong emotional appeal to content with a diverse cast and inclusive focus. Depicting diversity can be an effective tool at broadening the appeal of a campaign, as it can help every viewer to be able to identify with what’s being depicted.

Here at Hub we love to see content that approaches diversity in innovative and affecting ways. There have been some great examples of late – here are some of our favourites.

Nike – Equality

Nike made great use of sports motifs to produce this short but effective ad. By making use of the “all-players-are-equal” nature of competitive sport, Nike was able to expand this parallel to the real world, speaking of a desire for equality in the world – as in the court and on the field. “Equality should have no boundaries”, states the narrator, fronting a background depicting unity in sports, and people of all backgrounds expanding the lines of the court to the world around them – communicating effectively that the bonds built by our diverse world through sport should expand to the wider world. A powerful clip, made ever more so by the gospel-esque piano background and well-crafted narration.

AirBnB – We Accept

The high costs of a Superbowl advertising slot mean most brands looking for maximum exposure have to confine themselves to 30 seconds – this year, rather than try to sell their brand, AirBnB focused on communicating their inclusive ethos to a divided America in the wake of Donald Trump’s election. A simple message, “we accept”, accompanied by a quick-fire show of faces, is the guide for a message promoting diversity and tolerance between races, sexualities, and religions. By pushing its brand into the background, AirBnB created a striking short video showing the diversity of the world, attaching itself to an open, inclusive ideology. In the flood of Superbowl ads, sending an emotional message of inclusiveness at a difficult time for many set AirBnB apart from the rest.

Coca-Cola – America The Beautiful

This year, Coca-Cola re-aired their 2014 cut, to make a statement about diversity in the current political climate. This clip features a cast of diverse people singing the popular patriotic song “America the Beautiful”, at first in English, but drifting into a variety of other languages, including Hindi, Arabic and Tagalog. Made to communicate and represent the diversity of America, this year’s re-airing instead took on a defiant tone and message of unity in the divisive political climate, showing confidently the statement that “Together is Beautiful”.

The Atlantic – Am I Typecast?

Sometimes, encouraging diversity means challenging its opposition. In this short scene from American magazine The Atlantic, Michael K. Williams grapples with himself over the question of whether – or not – he, as a black actor, gets typecast into roles. This clip makes great use of irony as we see Williams as a variety of different characters, all discussing the titular question. The underlying message of the video, however, seems to speak to a greater cause. The use of typecasting appears to be a metaphor for the experience of many black people in modern society – that their opportunities are restricted by their race, and they may fall into becoming the very stereotypes they try to overcome. It’s an interesting, well-produced video with an important message, challenging people to be diverse in their ambitions, no matter their background. Through this video, The Atlantic effectively shows that they aren’t afraid to ask the bigger questions in society today.

In summary, the power of diversity is in sharing a message of being open and welcoming – an undoubtedly important message for the world. These branded content videos show diversity in a range of ways, but all have created positive messages about the social impact of the creator. Images and ideas around diversity are incredibly evocative and, when applied to communicate an important message or create a positive change, unite people under a common goal.